Artificial dentube and method of making the same



H. D." MORGAN I ARTIFICIAL DENTURE AND METHOD OF MAKING THE SAME Dec. 29, 1931, R0, 185311 o i inal Fneawarzhzs. I95? and Reissued Dec. 29, 1931 UNITED STATES v Re. 18,311

PATIENT OFFICE HUGH D. MORGAN, OF YOUNGSTOWN, OHIO original N0. 1,714,185, dated May 21, 1929, Serial No. 178,949, filed March 1930. Serial No. 444,586.

reissue filed April 15,

This invention relates to artificial dentures and method of making the same, and more particularly to a denture adapted to be firm- 1y held in place by reason of a partial vacuum between the denture and the gum. The

invention further relatesto an improved apparatus whereby a vacuum seal is 'mamtamed between the gum and the plate.

I rovide an artificial denture having a channel therein adapted to receive a rib of soft rubber or other suitable material, the rib being provided with divergent flaps which engage the gum and form a vacuum 'seal.,

By reason of the large area exposed to differential air pressure, the teeth are firmly held in place.

In the accompanyling drawings illustrating the present preferred embodiment of my invention:

Figure 1 is a sectional view, to greatly enlarged scale, showing my improved denture applied to a gum;

- Figure 2 illustrates ployed in the plate;

Figure 3 shows the cushion adapted to engage the gum and hold the plate in place;

the vacuum strip cm- Figure 4 is a view similar to Figure 3 of a slightly modified cushioning strip.

Referring to the illustrated embodiment there is shown a dental plate 2, having artificial teeth 3 set therein. The dental plate comprises a body portion l built up over a strip 5 having a channeled shape. The strip 5 is adapted to receive a rib 6 which is held in place by flaps 7 extending divergently therefrom and engaging the gum 8.

In forming the plate, I provide a strip 5 (Figure 2) having divergent shoulders 9 shaped to conform to the gums of the user. The body portion 4 of'the plate 2is built around the strip same.

the flaps 7 merely raise Figure 3 illustrates a portion of the. cushion employed, showing the rib 6 and divergent flaps 7 The flaps stantially the same thickness throughout so that the strip 5 shaped to the contour of the gumswill fit closely to the cushion. That is, the strip and denture channeled strip 5 and securely engages the 7 are preferably of sub- 2a, 1927. Application for a slight distance above the'gums. The rib 6 is'designed to fit within the strip 5, engagement between the strip and the rib being effected adjacent the lines of juncture. between the rib 6 and the flaps 7.

In applying the denture, the cushioning strip of rubber is applied to the plate and the rib pressed into the channel, therib and the flaps being manipulated in such manner as to expel any air which may be between the cushion and the gum. It will be notedthat the 5 is narrower at the cushion engaging portion than within its interior. This insures a relatively small sealing area betweenthestrip and the cushion while the interior of the strip is sufliciently large to permit of any necessary compression of the rubber into the channel to compensate for irregularities andac'commoda te the rib 6 of the cushioning str'p.

It may be desirable to have the surfaces of the flaps 7 which'engage the plate slightly adhesive, especially at the ends of the cushioning strip, so .as to insure effective sealing, it being especially important that the ends of the strip should be sealed in the channel.

After the'cushioning' strip has been sealed onto the denture, the denture is ready for use. It is placed in the mouth in the usual way and the flaps 7 are pressed against the gums to expel the air between the cushion and the gums. The flaps 7. act to seal the space between the gum and the cushion against atmospheric pressure so that the cushion is firmly held in place on the gum.

The shoulders 9 on the stri 5, conforming to the contour of the gum, present a rather extended area of contact 1 for engagement with the flaps 7 This insures that slight vacuum may be maintained within the strip 5 when the denture is in place.

I prefer to form the vacuum strip of metal so that the denture will not be weakened by reason of the channel occupied by the strip. In making the denture, a negative impression is first made of .the mouth of the patient. From this negative there is made a positive model in the usual manner and which is an exact duplication of the mouth of the patient. Then the denture is built up by laying dental paper over the until it is of the to the thickness gum receiving. cavity thereof to theocontour of the patients suction against the -eng'agin -15 gaging portion of the "plate.

mouth, but with a gum reoeiuingarecess larger than the ,patientls-gum, thus providing a space Whieh accommodates the cushioning rubber.

i a ear "tomake the cushioning device of rubber because ofits excellent sealing propl erties and flexibility. While I' have found that soft rubber forms an excellent cushion and sealing device between the denture and the gum, it will "be "understood that other compositions may used without depart- "ing from the'inv'ention. V

It will be understood that 'the showing in Figures 2 and 3 of the vacuum strip and "cushion, respectivel is that of the straight material before it has been shaped to conform to the denture.

-I n Figure 4, -I 'have, illustrated acusliio'ningst-rip having a rib 6 which is narrowed in "at its base, and havin'g flaps 7- thereon.

- VVhi-le' I have "illustratedanfiiiiescribed the tion, it will be understood that-the invention is not limited thereto but "may be otherwise -einbodie'd Withinthe scope of "the following claims;

- 1. An artificial denture'comprising 'a plate me'niberhaving a cavity onits inner face, and

,fa :gurn engaging eushion member hel'dbv suct-ion' in the cavity and adapt'ejd to be held by gum of the -wearer,-said cushion member forming a l ning over su "'tantia'lly the entire gum en 2. An artificialdenture com-prising a p'late having a transversely concaved inner face with a cavity along the bottom'thereofiand a gum engagingelement having an upistandf ing rib "received in-the: cavity and fhavin 'ilaps atfea'ch side or the rib which line the concaved inner face of the plate.

f forming a complete '3. An artificial denture comprising apla te inember having a't-ransve'rsely coneaved inner face adapted toen'gage the gum "of "the wearer, a soft rubber gum engaging member in the-"concaved inner face of the plate and lining'therefor, and' a projection on the said soft rubber me'mber extending into a cavity on-the said inner face of the plate.

4. The methodo'f making an'artificial den- -Lture ;wl1ich comprises" placing 'a'n im'pression meansover'the gum port1on of. amodel, "cfon- .within the. channeled stri extending within the channeled g member having a into permit the 11. The method of larger than the a thi'ck'ness equal to the thickness of the imstrip to the gum over the impression means and building up a denture around and over the strip to conform or use with an artificial denture, a channeled strip having portions thereof adapted toco'nform generally to a gum, and a cushion adapted to be placed between the gum and the strip and straddle the gum, said cushion h'a'vinga rib thereon adapted to lie with the impression.

6. In the combination with an artificial denture having a ,gum engaging ;recess,- 'a channeled strip adapted to lie within the body of the denture, a cushion inthe recess adapted to support the denture on a gum, said cushion providing a lining for the recess conforming to the shape of the gum, and having a rib thereon lying within the channeled strip. v

7 The combination with anartificial denture havinga gum receiving recess of a channeled strip in the denture, a rubber cushion in the recess adapted to support the denture on a gum, said cushion having seal- ,lng flaps adapted to line the recess and lie between the denture and the gum, and arib strip, said channeled strip having shoulders "engaging the cushion whereby a subatmospherlc pressure may be maintained within the channeled xstrip present preferred embodiment of my -1nvenhaving a re- An artificial denture a channeled strip ceiving recess therein, and

stantially along the center-of the recess, the top of the channeled strip being narrowed in, anda cushion linin'g cov ring-the interior of the recess.

9'. An artificial denture having a gumenplete-cushion lining for the gum engaging'recess.

10. An artificial denture comprising-a plate gum receiving recess theremember to set on the gum'of the wearer, a nd'a soft replaceable rubberliner in the recess over substantially the entire'surface "thereof, the bottom of the recess having a channel thereinJi-nto which excess rubber in the liner maybe forced.

making an artificial d'en'turewhich comprises placing a flexible material over the entire gum portion of a model, building'up a plate and denture'over the impression means whereby the resulting denture will have a gum receiving recess gum portion of the model by embedded in the gum receiving recess sub therein,

pression means, removing the impression means from the denture and substituting a lining of rubber therefor, said rubber lining covering the entire gum-engaging area of the 5 denture. v 12. The method of making an artificial den ture which comprises making an impression from the mouth of the patient, forming a positive model from this impression, laying a thickness of pliable material over the gum portion of the model thus produced, building up a denture around and over the pliable material, the pliable material intervening between the denture and the gum portion of the model, thereafter removing the pliable material to form a denture which has a gum re ceiving recess conforming to the shape of the model but larger than the model by an amount equal to the thickness of the pliable material, and thereafter lining the entire area of the gum receiving recess of the denture with a thickness of soft cushioning rubber, the oversize of the recess compensating for the thickness of a rubber lining. In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand.

HUGH D. MORGAN. 

